Betrayed by her body, once again, she is both speechless and breathless. How is it possible to become that aroused by somebody that you find so aggravating? The touch of his hands set every nerve ending ablaze as they move across her body. The ache between her legs is begging not to be ignored any longer.
Her breathing comes in short excited breaths making her feel weak and she’s just about to give into him when logic takes over. Would she be able to stay in control? She highly doubts that Ethan O’Connell concedes control to ANYONE. Does she have the emotional stability to handle his dark controlling moods? The struggle between mind and body ends with a victory for her logical side. She struggles to breathe in enough air so she can speak. Swallowing hard she forces out her request. “You promised to leave once you were done. I’d like you to leave.”
Ethan’s body goes stiff as he drops his hands to his side and backs away. “Ok, if that’s what you want. I don’t do non-consensual.” He’s never had to. Not once has any of the women that Ethan O’Connell set his sights on, told him NO. He’s frustrated by her capricious behavior. He knows that she feels the same very strong attraction, wanting him as much as he wants her. It occurs to him that he could force the ‘submissive’ card, but this is a bad time to gamble and be wrong. His mind races with questions he wants answers to, and he’s frustrated that Rachel never did tell him what happened to her. If she’s saying no, then he’ll leave.
Olivia watches him as he picks up his keys and puts on his shoes. She’s already wishing she could take back her rejection. He looks miserable and she really doesn’t want him to leave. As he starts down the stairs towards the door, she calls his name. “Ethan.”
With his patience completely spent and at the brink of emotional exhaustion he ignores her. This time it’s him that needs to put some space between them. He feels his anger building and he knows that any further discussion with her will coax it to the surface.
“Ethan, please wait.” She stands at the top of the stairs feeling dizzy. Hesitating briefly, he flashes her a look that’s dark and unforgiving before he opens the door and leaves.
That look haunts her for the rest of the night as she struggles to put him out of her mind. She sits with her cell phone in her hand, fighting the urge to call him. She was the one who sent him away and now she sits waiting and hoping he’ll call. Realizing that, she too is having bi-polar mood swings where he’s concerned, she wonders how they could have developed such intense feelings for each other in such a short time.
The phone rings in her hand, making her jump. She anxiously answers without even looking at the caller ID. “Hello?”
“Hi!”
“Oh. Hi, Megan.” The disappointment is evident in her voice.
“Gee, don’t sound so excited to hear from me.”
“I’m sorry. Of course I’m happy to hear from you.” Looking up at the wall clock, she squints, trying to figure out what time it is. “It’s late there. Is everything ok?”
“Yes, I just got everyone into bed and Rick is asleep on the couch. I was wondering how things went with Noah.”
“Don’t ask.”
“Oh no, what happened?” She’s a little too loud, waking her husband. Turning to him, she whispers. “It’s Olivia, go back to sleep.”
“Sorry about that. Go ahead, I’ve switched to the cordless and I’m heading into the kitchen. So tell me that you talked to him.”
“Yes, I did.”
“And he said no?” Megan is shocked.
“No, he said YES.”
“I’m confused, what happened?”
“We made plans to go out for dinner last night and he blew me off for a pretty little blonde with long legs and fake boobs.” She tries to make it sound like she’s not upset but her sister knows better.
“Oh honey, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s ok.”
“You sound tired, have you been sleeping?” Megan turns on the water and fills the sink. Carefully, she drops the dinner dishes into the water and begins to wash them, holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder.
“Actually, don’t laugh, but the other day I tipped out of my chair and cut my leg. I went to the doctor today and it’s badly infected. He’s given me a couple of different antibiotics to take, but I’m feeling quite miserable right now.”
Megan tries to unsuccessfully stifle her laughter. “You fell out of your chair?”
“I said don’t laugh.” Olivia says dryly.
“Sorry.” She regrets her lack of restraint. “So, I’m wondering now, who were you hoping to hear from tonight. It certainly wasn’t me.”
Olivia hesitates, not sure if she wants to discuss Ethan with her sister.
“Was it a man?” When Olivia doesn’t answer, she knows. “IT IS A MAN! What’s his name? Where did you meet him?” She can barely contain her excitement.
“Whoa! Relax, girl! His Name is Ethan. He’s Scott’s boss. But there is nothing going on between us. He’s actually the most frustrating man I have ever met.”
“Then why were you disappointed when it wasn’t him on the phone?” Finishing the dishes she pulls the plug and lets the water drain.
“I don’t know… we kind of had an argument earlier and I felt bad how things were left.” Feeling chilly, Olivia wraps the blanket from the couch around her and shivers.
“So you just want to be friends then?” Megan can’t let it go.
“Yes. I mean no… I guess so.” She exhales a very heavy sigh.
“Sweetheart, why are you so conflicted? What’s really going on?”
“I don’t know. I’m so confused.”
“About what?”
“My feelings for him.” She fluffs the throw pillow, tosses it to the end of the couch and lies down.
“How do you feel about him?” Megan dries her hands and settles comfortably at the kitchen table with a cup of tea.
“It’s hard to explain. I’m definitely attracted to him. He is beyond super hot.”
“Well that doesn’t sound so horrible.”
“I know but… one minute he’s so sweet and charming and the next minute he goes all Michael Collins on me.”
“Who?”
“Michael Collins.” Olivia sighs. “He was one of the leaders of the IRA in the early 1900’s.”
“Oh, ok. I’m not sure I get it.”
“He can be very controlling. Argumentative at times.”
“And that scares you because you’re trying to regain control of your life.” It suddenly becomes clear to Megan.
“Yes, exactly. He has the most beautiful green eyes I have ever seen and yet there is just something in them that warns me that he has a dark side. Just like Sam.” She says his name with shame in her voice.
“Do you think he would hurt you? If you think he’s at all capable of that then you need to stay away from him.”
“When I’m around him I feel very safe, like I’ve known him forever. But he makes me extremely nervous and I guess that’s what’s so confusing. My brain and my heart are always in conflict. It’s like trying to force together the opposite ends of two magnets and it’s exhausting.”
“Maybe you’re confusing the good nervous with the bad one.”
“I don’t know. I’m…. afraid.”
“Olivia, you’ve been through a very traumatic experience, just take things slow.” The babies cries can be heard in the background. “I need to go, the baby is awake. He’s teething, poor little guy.”
“Ok, give him a hug and kiss for me.”
“I will. Before I go, I want to know what you’re going to do about Ethan.”
“I have no idea. I asked him to leave tonight and then regretted it the minute he closed the door behind him. I guess I’ll just have to take one day at a time and see what happens.”
“Call me anytime if you want to talk! I’ll check in with you in a few days to see how you’re feeling.”
“Ok, love you.”
“Love you too! Good night.”
Olivia’s eyes become heavy as she makes herself more comfortable on the couch. Thinking about Ethan’s abrupt mood changes, she wonders if she’s responsible for turning sweet and loving men into monsters. She places her phone on the cushion beside her in case he calls, feeling ridiculous that she’s so affected by a man who is practically a complete stranger. The last thing she sees is the bag of medicine sitting unopened on the table. She needs to take those before she falls asleep. If she could just get back up, she would do that.
Chapter 5
That evening, Olivia’s sleep is continually interrupted by dreams of a time long ago. She’s been having the same recurring dreams for several weeks now, where she is teleported back in time to somewhere in the early 1900’s, or so she thinks. They are so remarkably clear in her thoughts that she wonders how she has knowledge of that period in time. When she wakes, she doesn’t always remember the details but there is one thing she is sure of; the beautiful woman with the long chestnut hair and flowing curls is definitely her. What bothers her is the mysterious man, unmistakably her lover. She vaguely remembers what he looks like when she wakes up, but what baffles her is that he doesn’t seem to resemble any of the men in her life. Is it possible to dream about a complete stranger and experience such strong feelings for them?
Her disrupted sleep is aggravated by the fact that she didn’t take the antibiotics before she fell asleep last night, and over the past several hours, the fever consumes her as the infection spreads. Tossing and turning uncomfortably on the couch, she’s soaked in perspiration and yet chilled to the bone and shivering. Opening her eyes briefly, she sees her little green, feathered friend sitting in the windowsill, watching her and tapping his beak against the glass. Olivia can barely lift her head off the pillow but manages to reach up and close the blinds to block out both the sun and the worried little bird.
The morning passes as Olivia fades in and out of consciousness. She manages only once to force her weary body to get up and take the medication. A pointless effort since not even water will stay down at this point, and the minute they hit her stomach they are forced back up. Making her way back to the couch she picks up her phone and tries to dial Rachel’s number but the battery is dead. Her hands and arms are heavy, like they’re encased in cement, and the phone slips from her hand and hits the floor. Once again, her eyes become heavy and she drifts back to sleep.
Lying in bed Ethan is awake and replays the past week in his mind repeatedly. He needs to find the strength to put Olivia James out of his mind. Not an easy task considering that, for months now, even before he had met her, it’s been her that waltzes with him through his dreams. He doesn’t understand how it’s possible but he recognized her the minute she stepped out of her car at the soccer game. Since then she’s the last thing he thinks about when he falls asleep and the first thing he thinks about when he wakes up. His dick gets hard just thinking about her beautiful rounded breasts and the curve of her hips. He’s going to have to dig down deep to find the will power to stay away from her. He spends the morning and part of the early afternoon working from his laptop and reviewing some proposals for the upcoming week but when that fails to prevent him from thinking about her, even after he has stroked himself to release, he decides a rigorous work out is in order to get her out of his head.
Rachel calls Olivia several times during the day without reaching her and now Sunday afternoon is nearly gone. Concerned that she still can’t reach her she decides she should check on her in person. The last time Olivia didn’t return her calls she found her nearly dead in a pool of blood and those memories play in her mind as she drives over there.
She hasn’t been gone long when Scott’s cell phone rings. “Hey, how’s Olivia? Is everything ok?”
“Oh my God, Scott! She’s not in good shape.” Anxiety is evident in Rachel’s voice.
“What’s going on?”
“When I arrived she was laying on the couch barely conscious. I’m freaking out here! I’ve tried to wake her up a few times but she refuses to let me take her to the hospital. I don’t know what to do.“
She can hear Scott’s heavy footsteps on the stairs. “Hang on Rach, I’m going to get Ethan.”
“Ok…. why?” It seems like an odd thing to do.
Ethan isn’t in his room and he calls out to him. He searches until he hears the sound of the treadmill in the basement. “Um... ok, Rachel listen… Ethan doesn’t like people to know this but he took a couple of years of medical school before he switched to Business. He still works part time with the emergency medical response team in Ireland.” Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he motions for Ethan to take off his headphones.
“What’s going on?” He puffs between breaths.
Scott hands him the phone. “It’s Rachel. She needs to talk to you about Olivia.”
Ethan shakes his head and pushes the phone away. “No, I’m done talking about her. Besides, Olivia has made it perfectly clear that she doesn’t want me around.” He continues to run and puts his headphones back in.
Scott reaches over and shuts off the machine. Angrily, Ethan pulls off his headphones and glares at him. “What the hell are you doing? I said I don’t want to hear any more about her. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
Aggravated, Scott hands the phone to him again. “Olivia is really sick. Rachel is over there right now and she thinks there is something seriously wrong.”
The thought of Olivia being in distress alarms him more than he would like to admit, making it hard to refuse Scott’s request. Stepping off the treadmill, he wipes the sweat from his face with a towel, and reluctantly takes the phone. “Rachel, what’s going on?”
“I don’t know, she hasn’t returned any of my calls since last night so I came over and she’s lying on the couch. I can’t keep her awake. She opens her eyes and closes them again. She’s burning up, Ethan. I’m really worried.“
“How high is her fever?” He asks, heading upstairs.
“I don’t know!” Rachel bites at him in frustration. “How am I supposed to know?”
“There’s a thermometer in the medicine cabinet in the main floor bathroom, Rach.” He says calmly, having seen it there the day before.
Rachel wonders how he knows that, but doesn’t ask. Ethan hears the sounds of cupboard doors opening and closing in the background. “I found it, but I have no idea how to use it.” She pushes buttons and the led display lights up and flashes. When she gets back into the living room she picks up the drug store bag from the table and looks into it. “Ethan it doesn’t look like she’s taken any of the medication.”
Ethan is already putting on his shoes. “I’m on my way. Rachel, listen to me… If anything happens before I get there… anything that doesn’t seem right, then call an ambulance immediately. Don’t hesitate and don’t give Olivia a choice.”
Stuffing his wallet into his pocket, he hands the phone back to Scott who has filled an empty container with food for him to take to Rachel. He hands it to him as he opens the door. “Make sure my wife eats, please.” He puts the phone back up to his ear. “Rachel, I’m sending you some food, honey.”
“Scott, tell Ethan to hurry. I’m really worried and I’m not good with this stuff.” Her voice is heavy with the sound of threatening tears.
“Sweetheart, don’t worry. Ethan will be there in just a few minutes. He’ll know what to do.” He looks over at Ethan who is on his way out the door. “You do know what to do. Don’t you?”
Ethan nods at him and jumps over the garden, practically sprinting to the car. In record time he’s rounding the corner into the parking space at the back of the house. Pushing the door open without knocking, he startles Rachel who is frantically pacing the floor.
“Thank God you’re here!”
“Has she opened her eyes yet?” He rushes towards the couch where Olivia is laying and brushes the hair off her face to feel her forehead. She doesn’t move at all, her hair soaked with perspiration from the fever. He kneels beside her on the f
loor. “Olivia.” He coaxes. “Olivia!” He nudges at her gently but there is no response.
“Pass me the thermometer.” He tries not to show Rachel his concern.
Rachel holds it one way and then turns it the other way, trying to figure out how it works. “That’s why I didn’t have kids. I’d never be able to figure this thing out.” She walks over and hands it to Ethan who pushes a button and lights up the display. Sitting on the side of the couch he puts the end of the digital thermometer into Olivia’s ear.
Rachel makes a face. “I would never have thought to put that in there.”
It seems like forever waiting for the beep. Ethan feels the tension in every muscle of his body. Looking at her laying there so helpless reminds him of his sister Kaylie, and how she almost died from a fever when she was just a tiny child. His stomach tightens with anxiety. Finally the thermometer beeps and he anxiously looks at the digital display. “Christ, Rachel. It’s 105! How long has it been this high?” Alarmed, he quickly gets to his feet and looks over at her for an answer.
She’s shocked! “I... I don’t know. I just got here an hour ago so at least that long.”
“Shit!” He rubs his head and stares are her for a moment. “We have to get the fever down or she could start to seizure.” He desperately looks around the main floor of the tiny townhome trying to come up with a course of action. He looks towards the stairs and back to Olivia on the couch. Then he looks over at Rachel. “Take her clothes off, leave on just her bra and her panties.”
Rachel has no idea what he has in mind but she follows his instructions as he starts up the stairs, taking them two at a time. The sound of running water comes from the upstairs bathroom and Olivia opens her eyes when Rachel lifts her head to remove her t-shirt. “Olivia? Honey are you ok?” She shakes her head NO and then closes her eyes again. “Olivia! I need to know if you’ve been taking your medication.” Rachel tries again to get a response. “Olivia!” Her eyes open very slowly, trying to focus. “Did you take your antibiotics? Have you taken any Tylenol?“
Intractable Souls : Book 1 of the Bound for Ireland Series Page 10
